H.R. 3151

SHIPS for America Act of 2025

Sponsor: Trent Kelly

145 cosponsors
Follow this bill

Official summary

No official summary yet.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I Oversight and accountability

II Maritime Security Trust Fund

III Sealift capability

IV Vessels of the United States in international commerce

A Strategic sealift programs

B Cargo preference

Sec. 422. Ship America Office

(a) In general. Chapter 553 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

IV Ship America Office

55341. Establishment of Ship America Office

(a) Establishment. The Maritime Administrator shall establish within the Maritime Administration an office to be known as the Ship America Office. The Maritime Administrator shall appoint the head of the Ship America Office (in this section referred to as the Ship America Associate Administrator).

(b) Duties. The Ship America Associate Administrator shall have the following duties:

(1) Providing assistance to private sector entities, Federal financial assistance recipients, Federal agencies, Federal contractors, and owners and operators of oceangoing vessels of the United States to facilitate the movement of commercial and government cargo on vessels of the United States in international commerce.

(2) Maximizing compliance across Federal agencies with this chapter, section 2631 of title 10, and any other cargo preference law of the United States.

(3) Providing training and assistance to Federal employees, in all Federal agencies responsible for shipping preference cargo, on the legal obligations under this chapter, section 2631 of title 10, United States Code, and any other cargo preference law of the United States.

(4) Developing a ‘Ship America’ verification program to develop self-certification industry standards, in partnership with private sector entities, to allow private sector entities to verifiably demonstrate that a product was transported to the United States aboard a vessel of the United States.

(5) Supporting the efforts of the executive branch to develop and sustain a fleet of vessels of the United States and maritime industrial base to meet the sealift needs of Federal agencies.

(6) Where practicable, making accessible, and regularly updating, the publicly available contact information for oceangoing vessels of the United States for the purposes of moving international commerce.

(7) Publishing, and regularly updating, centralized information on the commercial benefits available to private sector entities for moving commercial cargo on oceangoing vessels of the United States.

(8) Preparing the reports under subsection (c).

(c) Reports required. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Maritime Administrator, acting through the Ship America Associate Administrator, shall report to the appropriate committees of Congress (as defined in section 4 of the SHIPS for America Act of 2025) and the Maritime Security Board on—

(1) the opportunities and challenges faced by commercial entities to move cargo on oceangoing vessels of the United States; and

(2) recommendations to increase international commerce moving on vessels of the United States.

(b) Clerical amendment. The table of sections for chapter 553 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “SUBCHAPTER IV—Ship America Office

Text this section adds to the law

55341. Establishment of Ship America Office.

C Regulatory reform

V Shipbuilding

A Shipbuilding financial incentives

B Department of Defense Programs

C Shipbuilding innovation and infrastructure

VI Workforce Development

A Workforce incentives

B Workforce Pipeline

C United States Merchant Marine Academy and State maritime academies

D Maritime Credentialing Modernization

VII Amendments to the internal revenue code of 1986